


Beyond Measure

by Draconian_Songs



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Background Relationships, Bisexual Idiots, Cunnilingus, Double Penetration, Double Vaginal Penetration, Explicit Sexual Content, Hand Jobs, I know I listed it twice but Holst is going to town, M/M, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, Ultra Rarepair Big Bang (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:00:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26277553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draconian_Songs/pseuds/Draconian_Songs
Summary: Lorenz is throwing an extravagant Rose Ball for the Alliance and Byleth insisted that the sewer idiots must attend. Balthus is nervous; he hasn’t seen his best friend, Holst, in over a decade. While the two reminisce about the past, they manage to catch the attention of Judith… by both whistling at the same time. Judith decides they need to be taught a lesson… and she might as well have fun while she’s at it.
Relationships: Balthazar von Adalbrecht | Balthus von Albrecht/Holst Goneril, Balthus von Albrecht/Holst Goneril/Judith von Daphnel
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13
Collections: 2020 Ultra Rarepair Big Bang





	1. The Rose Ball

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter One is safe for work! Chapter Two has ALL the explicit fun... :3c
> 
> I worked on this for the Ultra Rarepair Big Bang! My artist partner, [Peach](https://twitter.com/peachchanvidel) aka @peachchanvidel, has done a gorgeous work to go with it and has been so much fun to work with! We've bounced a bunch of fun ideas off each other and as such there will be future chapters in this fic beyond the first two for the Ultra Rarepair Big Bang.
> 
> [Mild spicy preview on Twitter](https://twitter.com/peachchanvidel/status/1302043553141608451?s=20) and the [Full spicy art collaboration by Peach!](https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/84162317) (This is basically a preview for Chapter 2!)

The Gloucester estate was bedecked in more roses than Balthus had thought could exist in the whole of the world. Rose bushes lined the lane leading up to the door, bouquets and garlands of the fragrant blooms adorned every empty surface, and each servant of the Gloucester family wore a boutineer akin to the one Lorenz used to wear during his academy days. Appetizers were arranged on tables to look like roses and melons were carved into gigantic and edible blooms, a servant ready to peel a melon petal for those interested. The rose motif was used on banners that lined the hall and rose petals were strewn across the floor. It was altogether too much.

Constance crowed in delight as she entered the hall, all semblance of her sunlight self fading away to pure confidence. “Now this is what I call a Rose Ball!” She giggled behind a fan painted with pink roses. “I am so glad you let me festoon you with the proper garments to befit such a splendid sight! These adornments will surely bring glory to the brilliance that is I, Constance von Nuvelle!” 

Balthus groaned, squirming in the suit she had forced upon him. She had insisted on a cravat embroidered with roses when he had refused a rose crown. Hapi adjusted the crown of rosebuds on her head. “You really outdid yourself, Coco. I think we’ll blend right into the background,” she said.

Laughing in disbelief, Constance started, “And what do you mean by—”

“Look, Coco! The dessert table!” Hapi said, grabbing Constance by the elbow and dragging her off. Constance turned pink and followed along.

Yuri sighed and removed his rose crown and took it apart, placing a single rose behind his ear instead and depositing the rest into a nearby vase already filled to the brim with blossoms. “Well, we’re here. We better find Byleth so they know their efforts to get us to attend weren’t in vain,” Yuri said. 

Balthus shrugged, still uncomfortable. “I know they said they took care of any debt collectors and whatever, but there might still be some Teach didn’t know about.” He surveyed the crowd of nobles eating and dancing, eyes catching on every pink rose that passed.

With a scoff, Yuri flipped his hand at Balthus. “Please. The debt collectors and bounty hunters Byleth didn’t know about were taken care of for the night. Have more faith in us.”

Catching a server with a tray of some sort of pink drink in rose etched wine glasses, Balthus took a swig. It even tasted like roses. Grimacing, he glanced around again, searching for that familiar shade of pink that belonged to two of the most important people in his life. 

It had been more than a decade since Balthus had renounced his noble title and become an outlaw. There were many reasons for it, of course, and most of them had more to do with debts than he wanted to admit. But one of the unfortunate side effects of being disowned from his noble family meant he hadn’t seen Holst Goneril in over ten years. 

In that time, Holst had become head of the family, a Lord and general of the Alliance. When war had broken out in Fódlan, Holst had been instrumental in securing victory upon victory for Claude. House Goneril flourished under his rule. Holst didn’t even need possession of the Hero’s Relic, Freikugel, to demonstrate how worthy and noble he was. He had given it to Hilda to wield during the war.

Time would have changed Holst beyond recognition… right? Balthus grumbled to himself and downed the rest of the rose wine. This wasn’t the kind of life he wanted to live, but it didn’t stop him from getting strangely nostalgic for his youth with Holst and his time at Garreg Mach as a student. 

Yuri gave him a sidelong glance, gracefully sipping his own wine. “You’re going to pull a muscle thinking that hard,” he said, flipping his lavender hair. “What’s got you brooding?”

“I haven’t seen my best mate in… well… ages. Just worried, I guess,” Balthus said. He frowned at Yuri who seemed to be only paying half attention. The swell of music paused and people bedecked in all manner of lace and velvet migrated towards the refreshment tables.

Yuri grinned. “Aha, there she is!” he said under his breath, then turned to Balthus. “If I might, friendships like that tend to pick up right where you left them. Example A,” Yuri said, with a flourish towards a corner of the room where Bernadetta squirmed in terror as she waved frantically at Yuri. “A childhood friend of mine who was separated from me for years. We reunited later on and we’re still as close as ever.”

“Yuriiiiiiiii!!!” Bernadetta screeched as the crowd converged on the appetizer table near her corner.

“Uhh…” Balthus said, scratching his head. “I think your friend is about to implode? Maybe you should go to her?”

Yuri finished his glass of wine and shrugged. “She’ll be fine. I think I saw Byleth over by the musicians. Coming?”

Balthus opened his mouth to respond and instead got tackled in a crushing bear hug from a tiny pink blur. “Balty!!! You came, I’m so glad!” Yuri shrugged again and left Balthus to weeze out a greeting to Hilda. She released Balthus before she cracked any of his ribs and held him out at arms length. “Wowwww, you look… almost human,” she said, taking in his suit with an appraising glance.

Balthus gave her a once over. Her gown was a sleeveless pink confection with maroon lace that showed off her toned arms and ample bosom. It suited her, but Balthus wouldn’t let her have the satisfaction. “Y’know, I think someone could almost mistake you for a noblewoman in that getup.” 

Hilda laughed, punching him in the arm a little too hard. “Such a charmer, as always. Come onnn, I know someone who’s just dying to see you,” she said, grabbing Balthus by the elbow and leading him into the crowd. They dodged dancers and servers with more flutes of pink wine. Balthus managed to hand his empty glass to one server and nab a full glass from another. He might not like the drink, but, hey, it was free.

Knowing Hilda was leading him to Holst didn’t negate the electric shock of Balthus landing his gaze on him after so many years. Balthus stopped in his tracks, heart hammering. Holst hadn’t turned to them yet, was too busy eating a tiny canapé to notice Balthus staring, wondering if this man was still Balthus’ best friend.

Holst wore his hair tied back with a maroon bow, so different from the unruly mop it used to be during their school years. He had even grown a beard and kept it neatly trimmed close to his chin. His suit hinted at his build being stronger than before, the way the maroon jacket stretched across his chest and arms. The pink lace edging matched Holst’s hair, but the pink of his vest and pants was a lighter shade. It all suited him so well, Balthus almost felt annoyed.

Almost.

Mostly Balthus felt a swoop of nostalgia in his chest and a moment of giddy panic as Holst turned and ran his gaze over him. And then Holst beamed, his entire being lighting up, and he clasped Balthus’ forearms in an affectionate manner. “Balthus!? I almost didn’t recognize you in a suit!”

“Right?” Hilda said, stepping aside. “He’s almost respectable in that.” She giggled at that. She glanced to the side and gasped, clasping a hand to her mouth. “Oh my goodness…” 

Balthus and Holst both turned and looked to where Hilda was gazing. Through the veranda doors, standing in the last light of day was Marianne, timidly examining a rose bush and conspicuously alone. She wore a light blue gown of satin and navy lace, and a delicate necklace of sapphires adorned her slender neck. 

Without a backwards glance, Hilda skipped over to Marianne, her voice bubbling with affection even over all the hubbub, leaving Balthus and Holst alone. They stared after Hilda, who was speaking with the rapidly pinkening Marianne, and then they both began laughing. Holst wiped a tear from his eye, mirth making his lips quirk in a fetching way. “That’s just like her,” he said.

Balthus agreed. “She never changes. Always chasing after the next cute thing.”

“Well, if by ‘next cute thing’, you mean Marianne von Edmund exclusively these last six years,” Holst said, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip of wine. 

“Exactly what I mean,” Balthus said, finishing off his second glass in one swig. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he first thought. Being free really made the flavor grow on him. 

The music swelled again, the musicians already done taking a break. Groups paired off and began dancing. A giggling Hilda pulled Marianne onto the dance floor with her. Balthus took a surreptitious glance at Holst, who was smiling after his sister and leaning heavily against the wall. Holst turned to Balthus. “This really brings back memories… The Ethereal Moon Ball at Garreg Mach was sure something,” he said.

“That was the last ball I attended,” Balthus said, accepting a new glass of wine from a server.

Holst shook his head and murmured a thanks to the server, still nursing his glass of wine. He turned towards Balthus, a gleam in his eyes. “I was so sure you’d win,” he said. “But then you up and disappeared. Only time I’ve known you to give up on a bet.”

Balthus looked back towards the dancers, trying to hide his surprise. That wasn’t quite how he remembered it.

***

“I’ll dance the whole night through. You won’t last on those twig legs!” Balthus punched Holst in the shoulder, the boy much slighter than Balthus. Holst, at eighteen, still managed to cut an elegant figure in his formal academy uniform. At nineteen, Balthus was already tall and broad, his formal wear stretched near to breaking.

“Wanna bet?” Holst asked, then laughed before Balthus could respond. “Of course you do.  
Winner gets to ask Judith to dance at the next ball one of our fathers hosts.”

“Oh, you’re on! You’ll never get to dance with her,” Balthus said. Whipping around, he zeroed in his sights on the first girl he saw. “Hey, there. Care to dance to your heart’s content?”

It was their first ball as young men, the first where they could potentially be considered suitors to any number of the young women from noble houses across Fódlan. Professors were there, of course, making sure their students followed decorum and didn’t embarrass their families by dancing too close to one another. Regardless, Balthus managed to give suggestive winks and make bawdy jokes enough to send his dance partners into fits of giggles and excuse themselves as they turned pink.

It was during one such break that Balthus found the punch bowl which had definitely been spiked. Silently saying thanks to whichever student had blessed the punch with alcohol and praying Professor Hanneman didn’t find out it was desecrated, Balthus helped himself and watched his classmates dance. Amidst the dancing students Holst stood out, an upright young man with a line of girls waiting to dance with him.

Holst was the picture of the perfect young nobleman in his academy formal attire, the way he held himself and bowed before each young lady before whisking her to the dance floor. He kept exact and proper distance between himself and his dance partner, yet didn’t seem too stiff because Holst unleashed his signature charming smile. Balthus finished another cup of punch, then another.

 _This noble life_ , he thought, _is too prim and proper. Too stiff for someone like me._ Balthus watched as Holst beamed at his newest dance partner. It wasn’t fair that Holst could blend into this charade of etiquette and nobleness when Balthus knew full well that he was capable of brawling in the streets and would, on occasion, swear like a sailor. Those nights Balthus and Holst had snuck into town to drink and carouse were some of his most treasured memories. 

And yet, Balthus was forced to admit that Holst looked good in his uniform, dazzling young women with his smile, bowing and saying whatever proper thing was supposed to be said when accepting a dance partner as a noble. Balthus finished his fourth—fifth?—cup of punch. Whoever had spiked the punch hadn’t held back on the booze. He gloomily filled another cup and left the ballroom after casting one more glance at Holst and his retinue of girls.

Balthus snuck off to the gazebo where he startled away a couple of young lovebirds. He sat at a bench along the hedges, glaring from the shadows as some of the younger students peeled away from the ball to head to bed. When he graduated, he was going to relinquish his title, Balthus decided. His younger brother was much better suited to this life. No matter what Balthus did, he always bungled something or other of the unwritten rules of noblehood. 

He’d travel as he pleased, drinking and fighting and having a good time. He and Holst would conquer taverns and pubs from the Alliance to the Kingdom to the Empire. They’d have to fight for their dinners sometimes, sure, but together they were unstoppable. Together they would… Together… 

Balthus stared at his empty glass, suddenly angry. What was he thinking? Of course they wouldn’t be together; Holst was the Goneril family heir. His father was ailing. He didn’t have a younger brother capable of having the title foisted upon him. Just a kid sister, Hilda, a tiny princess in need of protecting. Balthus could see Holst abandoning his title, but never his sister. Balthus buried his face in his hands, glass abandoned by his feet. 

After graduating, Balthus would renounce his title and live just as he pleased. No matter how he looked at it, he was not noble material. And no matter how he looked at it, Holst would not abandon Hilda. Balthus couldn’t blame Holst for that; he felt rather protective of Hilda himself, as if she were the little sister he’d never had. So Balthus would make his own way, alone.

Rubbing his face vigorously, Balthus prepared himself to reenter the ball, or go to bed, or maybe fight a guard for the hell of it. Instead of getting up, Balthus opened his eyes to the sight of Holst wandering away from the music and lights, turning his head this way and that as if looking for someone. Holst didn’t see Balthus sitting in the shadows; he took several steps, looked around, then progressed a bit further, searching. 

Maybe it was the drink, or maybe it was the line of thinking Balthus had been mulling over, but he gritted his teeth as Holst headed in the direction of the Cathedral. The Goddess Tower. What other reason would Holst have to leave the ball? Holst was heading there to meet with some girl and make a promise to be together forever or some such nonsense. 

And because Balthus had no idea who Holst was meeting, he felt a pang of hurt. They were best friends; why wouldn’t Holst tell Balthus about a sweetheart? Irritation wracked Balthus and he jumped up and ran towards the Cathedral himself. 

The bridge was empty; on the night of the ball, the guards made a point of being spare in the area to allow for more privacy. But that also meant that Holst must have ran the rest of the way after he had left Balthus’ sight. So Balthus also ran, startling a sleeping hound into baying. Once inside the Cathedral perimeter he slowed down, heart thumping in his ears. 

The Goddess Tower appeared deserted. Balthus swung the door inwards and peered into the dark. There was little light apart from what the stars and moon provided through a few broken window panes. He stepped in and felt his way along, climbing the tower carefully. The dust was thick; the tower was no longer used by the church and was only frequented once a year. Balthus strained to hear anything, but in the absence of any noise he pushed on.

 _Holst and his partner must have climbed to the top_ , Balthus thought. His swirl of irritation was beginning to break down into a strange melancholy. He probably should leave and let them have their privacy. Balthus almost turned around, but clenched his teeth and forced himself to keep going, taking care to be as quiet as possible. He had to know who Holst was hiding from him, who Holst would likely spend the rest of his life with.

But he crested the top of the stairs and stared at the broken remnants of some ancient desk highlighted in moonlight. The room was empty, the window yawning into the night with wind blowing through Balthus’ core. He approached the ledge and stared out across the lake below the monastery, peered down to the craggy rocks petering into the water. Nothing.

Not that Holst would be stupid enough to jump, or without his senses enough to be pushed. Balthus shook his head and headed back to the stairs. He had had too much to drink and strange dark fantasies were playing in his mind. Maybe he had imagined seeing Holst leave the ball in the first place.

As Balthus descended the stairs, his thoughts returning from the dark imaginings he had had, he collided with a body rushing upwards. Both tumbled down the flight of stairs they were on, crashing in the darkness of a landing with a boarded up window. Balthus threw a punch and was surprised by a returning blow to his chin. He grappled with the figure in the dark, feeling himself lose ground until he was forced onto his back, pinned expertly with his arms beneath him. The other person was slighter, but used their entire bulk to hold Balthus in place, their angle perfect in that Balthus could not move without dislocating something. 

It was a move Balthsus had had used against him once before in the training grounds and had seen multiple times while out drinking. “Goddess damn it, Holst?!” 

His attacker jumped off him. “Oh shit, Balthus?!” There was a moment of shuffling as Holst stood up and then hoisted Balthus up single handed. With a deafening crack, Holst ripped a board off of the window and dusty moonlight filtered through to show the two boys rumpled and dirty. 

Balthus’ jacket had burst several buttons during the scuffle and already Balthus felt less constrained. Holst eyed the V of Balthus’ chest now exposed and started laughing. Balthus scowled. “Shut up! What the hell are you doing here, Holst?” he asked, as if he hadn’t surmised the answer.

Holst held back a giggle, eyes glinting in the moonlight. “To find you! I thought you left the ball to meet a girl here,” he said.

Balthus stared, incredulous. “I thought you left to meet a girl here!” A beat passed and then both of them burst out laughing, leaning on each other as mirth shook them. _Of course_ , Balthus thought to himself. _Of course Holst would have told me if he had someone special in mind_. They were both idiots, drunk on spiked punch and dance and the cusp of a new year.

Through laughter, Holst said, “I’ll always be here for you, idiot.” His hand gripped Balthus’ shoulder with a steadiness Balthus craved. Because he was drunk, of course. One needed stability when drunk.

Balthus threw his arm around Holst’s shoulder as they descended from the Goddess Tower. “Same to you, Holst,” he said. “I’ll always be here for you.”

***

Balthus felt warmth spread across his cheeks; definitely from the weird wine, he thought to himself, and not the memory. He took a long drink and then said, “That’s not how I remember it! I was the Debonair King of Grappling! Ladies lined up around the corner to dance with me!” Balthus forced out a laugh as he wondered if Holst remembered that night as well as he did.

There had been so many nights the past decade where Balthus had thought about that exchange in the Goddess Tower, how Holst had said he’d be there for him. Balthus’ stomach swooped—this wine sure had that effect—and shook his head slightly. Balthus knew if he had asked Holst for financial help, he would have been granted it. But Balthus also hadn’t wanted to be a burden on Holst. Balthus’ financial woes were something he wanted to carry himself.

“Riiiiight,” Holst said, sipping his drink while watching Balthus through hooded eyes. He smirked around the lip of the glass. “You were so busy dancing with all those ladies you disappeared and had to have me running around the whole monastery to find you.”

Balthus swallowed. Okay, maybe Holst did remember that night better than he was hoping he had. To divert the conversation, Balthus punched Holst in the shoulder; the latter wobbled and grabbed Balthus’ elbow to steady himself. “So!” Balthus said, “Did ya ever ask Judith to dance with you?”

At that, Holst blushed. The two of them had had a thing for Judith von Daphnel for nearly as long as they’d known each other. The only crush that predated Judith was Tiana. After Tiana von Riegan had disappeared, the young boys’ sights turned to the buxom Judith and they had often fought over who would marry her. Balthus grinned as Holst turned pink, glad his friend hadn’t changed his mind about older women.

“Hard to ask a class A woman like that to dance when she’d as soon knock me on my ass for even entertaining the idea,” Holst said in an attempt to recover his composure. “I was right out of the academy, so she would have just called me a boy—” 

“Pff, excuses!” Balthus said, laughing. “And in the years since? Don’t tell me you’re shy!”

Holst finished his drink, giving Balthus another sidelong glance. His cheeks were still as rosy as the wine being replaced by a server. Something about the way Holst stared at him made Balthus’ throat go dry; he finished his glass before the server could leave and received a fresh one. Finally, Holst averted his gaze. “I was… distracted.”

Balthus swayed ever so slightly and Holst steadied him with a firm hand to his elbow. Now that he thought about it, though, Balthus wasn’t sure if Holst had removed his hand from earlier when he had almost toppled. It wasn’t bad, being kept secure by Holst. It was quite a nice change of pace rather than falling over from drunkenness. Balthus opened his mouth to say as much, but his jaw slacked in awe as an absolute vision walked by.

Judith von Daphnel herself passed them, a goddess in a deep blue satin dress, the skirt hugging her hips. Gold silk ribbons criss-crossed across her bodice and accentuated the neckline, framing her cleavage. She wore her hair down in cascading waves, the rich brown shining in the chandeliers’ light.

Balthus and Holst both whistled a low note of appreciation at the same time. It was almost quiet enough to be lost in the music, but because they whistled together it reached Judith’s ears and she turned to them, raising an eyebrow. Judith’s lips quirked in amusement and she approached the pair.

Holst stiffened beside Balthus; Balthus neglected to feel embarrassed and grinned at the approaching woman. “Well, boys? Do you have something to say?” Judith asked, hand propped on her hip. And _Goddess_ , what a hip it was. 

“Uhhh,” both of them said. Holst recovered first and stood at attention. “You look lovely tonight, Commander Daphnel.”

Judith let out a small laugh at that. “Why thank you, General Goneril. You seem to have made a full recovery. How’s the new leg holding up?”

Balthus turned to Holst in confusion as Holst pinked. He slapped his left thigh and laughed. “Well, I won’t be dancing anytime soon. But it’s getting easier to walk around on the prosthetic.”

“Wait, what?” Balthus asked, looking at Holst’s legs. They looked dashing in the knee high boots Holst was wearing, but as he thought about it, Balthus realized Holst hadn’t moved from his spot on this side of the ballroom. When Balthus looked back up, Holst was staring at him with a complicated expression. 

“I lost it in my battle against Nemesis. I nearly lost my life trying to get a warning sent to Claude… I suppose it was a small price to pay,” Holst said, letting out a small laugh.

‘ _I’ll always be here for you_.’ Balthus swallowed a lump in his throat. He should have been there for Holst. Balthus had learned Holst was injured in that battle, but he hadn’t heard any specifics beyond the fact that Holst survived. That had been the most important detail. “Holst,” Balthus said, clapping an arm around his shoulders. “That sucks, man.”

Judith accepted a glass of wine from a passing server. “The warning you sent was crucial to the war turning in our favor,” she said, and sighed. “But enough of this talk of the war. We’re here to celebrate. Celebrate roses, apparently.” Judith eyed the two again. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten. You boys were awfully rude whistling at me like that.”

“Yes ma’am!” Balthus said, without a hint of embarrassment. “Very rude indeed! Holst and I were just talking about how you’re a class A woman.” Holst made a strangled noise, blushing from his ears down his neck below his cravat. “But then you walked by and _damn_! You far exceed A rank. More like S rank if there’s such a thing, am I right, Holst?”

Holst gurgled an unintelligible response and instead of clarifying chugged the rest of his wine.

“Just showing our appreciation,” Balthus said, tightening his arm around Holst’s shoulders to keep him from escaping. Or dissolving into the floor, which Holst appeared to be attempting.

Judith, for her part, stood slightly stunned for a full three seconds. Then she burst out laughing. “Oh boys, do you think this is how you flatter a woman?” she said between gasps of laughter. She wiped away tears of amusement and drank from her glass, then shook her head again as laughter overtook her once more.

“I’m never going to live this down,” Holst groaned. 

“I’m going to give you boys some advice,” Judith said, still chuckling. “If you want to show your appreciation, it should be through actions, not words. Words are for flattering. Actions are for appreciation. So the next time a woman who—”

“Done,” Balthus said, stepping forward and dragging Holst with.

“Er, what?” Judith asked, surprised.

“Balthus?” Holst asked, worried.

“We’ll show our appreciation, Judith,” Balthus said, tilting his chin down and raising an eyebrow suggestively. “If you’ll let us.”

It was so outlandish, he expected her to start laughing again. Instead, Judith pursed her lips, a contemplative look on her face. Holst was frozen, beet red, but also tense under Balthus’ arm, waiting. Judith knocked back the rest of her drink. “I hope the two of you know what you’re getting into,” she said. “I expect to be appreciated to the full extent of your abilities.”

“Oh, you’re on!” Balthus said, giddy. 

Holst sighed. “I don’t think it’s a bet…” The whole situation was spiraling out of control, but Holst did not try to stop Balthus. In fact, an eager gleam shone in his eyes.

“We’ll give you pleasure beyond measure,” Balthus said, thankfully not too loud. He felt like he could take on the whole world.

Judith laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”


	2. Drowning in You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get very spicy. Balthus has many feelings. So much. Spice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Full spicy art collaboration by Peach!](https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/84162317)
> 
> Check out [Peach's](https://twitter.com/peachchanvidel) other work on twitter! She does so many gorgeous artworks of Judith ^w^

Several hours later, Balthus, Holst, and Judith left the ball to retire to the room Judith was staying in on the Gloucester estate. The Goneril’s room was out of the question as it had been commandeered by Hilda for ‘girl time’ with Marianne. Balthus had decided against his own room despite Yuri mysteriously disappearing; Byleth had said they’d be nearby if Balthus needed them. They had said it with their unnerving manner of keeping eye contact without blinking, emphasizing their eyes’ glow. Balthus trusted them with his life, but sometimes Byleth was just a little too otherworldly for his liking. It made him feel like they could see through walls.

Tonight was not a night for prying eyes.

Judith kicked off her heels upon entering her room. “I’m going to set a few rules for tonight,” she said, rounding on them. “One: if you change your mind and want to stop, please stop. I want us all to want this. Two: take off your boots, please. Three: please just call me Judith. No ‘Commander Daphnel’ nonsense in the bedroom.

“Four: I’m in charge. My pleasure comes first. Five: afterwards, please stick around.” Judith crossed her arms. “Men sneaking out of my room in the middle of the night is tiresome to deal with. Besides, the bed is plenty big.”

Balthus finished removing his boots and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, grinning at her. He was nervous, now that the wine had worn off some. But he wasn’t going to back away if Holst wasn’t. He turned to Holst who was yanking his left boot, a look of determination on his handsome face. “Need a hand?”

Holst nodded to Balthus and proffered his foot. To Judith he said, “Yes, Comm—I mean, Judith.” It took some wiggling, but the boot was finally removed, revealing that his foot was wooden underneath. It was well carved and smooth from varnish. Balthus patted it, then turned on his haunches towards Judith. 

She had a finger to her lips, thinking. “Balthus, take off that shirt. You don’t need it. Holst, help me with these laces.”

Balthus was only too happy to comply, throwing his jacket, cravat, vest, and shirt into a corner in a crumpled heap. He rolled his shoulders, glad to finally be free of the constraining clothes. “That’s much better!” he said, rounding on Holst and Judith, the former fiddling with a ribbon with a dazed look on his face.

Holst was kneeling before Judith, unlacing her, though his gaze kept going unfocused whenever he looked up at her. She smiled down at him, catlike, arching her back a little to emphasize the swell of her breasts above him. Holst dropped his hands from the ribbons and ran his fingers along the hem of her dress. “May I?” he asked, looking back up at Judith again.

“Hmm, I suppose, if you’re asking so nicely,” Judith said. She turned and appraised Balthus, an appreciative smile on her lips. “I like the shirtless look…” she said. Holst ducked under the skirt of her dress and Judith made a soft ‘oh!’ and grabbed Balthus for support.

Balthus grinned at her, closer to her than he had ever been before. She was such a handsome woman, her beauty improved upon by the fine lines on her face. He loved the laugh lines crinkling the edges of her eyes and he kissed them gently. Holst did something that made Judith gasp and Balthus kissed her full on the lips, holding her steady with one arm. With the other, Balthus plucked loose the laces on her bodice Holst had found so impossible.

Carefully, Balthus undid Judith’s dress (with some guidance from her nimble fingers) while kissing her slow and deep, tasting wine and desire intertwined. With the outer layer undone, Balthus pulled it over her head, leaving Judith in just her cream colored chemise. He stepped back and drank in what he could see. The sight of her barely veiled curves and Holst between her legs, hands clutching her buttocks as he licked up into her made Balthus’ mouth go dry. 

He lurched forward, the dress forgotten on the floor. Kissing her neck, Balthus stroked his hands down over Judith’s sides, from her tapered waist and down her hips to her muscled thighs. Then back up, his calloused fingers sliding up the back of her thighs and over Holst’s hands on her ass—he squeezed as he went—and across the dip of her lower back, then around and up to cup her breasts. He held her back to his chest, mouthing the joining flesh between her shoulder and neck as he groped her breasts. 

As Balthus kneaded her through her chemise, Judith groaned, putting her hands on Holst’s head for support as he made her legs weak with each stroke of his tongue. “You’re doing—oh, there, yes—doing so well,” Judith gasped out. She turned to catch Balthus in another kiss, biting at his bottom lip.

Balthus’s hands wandered down over her stomach, nice and soft, and over the bunched up fabric of her chemise. He fingered the edge, then dipped lower, almost poking Holst in the eye as he curled his fingers into the curly hair of her mound. With his other hand he slid it under her chemise and up to squeeze one heavy breast. 

Holst caught Balthus’ middle finger in his mouth and sucked, surprising a yelp out of Balthus. Balthus wasn’t sure if it was an accident or not, because Holst immediately went back to kissing Judith’s lower lips. Undeterred, Balthus slid his middle finger between the slippery folds into Judith. She cried out, throwing her head back against Balthus’ shoulder. Holst hummed in pleasure, lapping at her pussy and Balthus’ knuckles.

“Oh, I… I think I need to lie down,” Judith said, nudging Holst with her hands as she panted. He came away, mouth slick with her juices, eyes lidded. With weak legs, Judith extricated herself from the men, trailing fingers across Holst’s forehead and Balthus’ chest. “Holst, honey, I think you should take that shirt off before it’s ruined,” she said with a backwards glance. 

Balthus shot Holst a grin; Holst loosened his cravat, a hungry look in his eyes as he bit his lip. Excitement jolted through Balthus and he looked quickly back to Judith who was throwing the covers off the bed. She pursed her lips and slipped the chemise over her head in one fluid motion, baring herself to them. “Balthus… let’s see what you can do with those hands of yours,” she said, beckoning to him.

She laid back on the bed, letting Balthus climb over her and slip a finger back into her pussy. He moved it slow and steady until Judith bucked her hips up and he slid a second finger in. Holst folded his jacket and shirt and draped the discarded dress over a chair. Judith moaned and Balthus began moving both fingers again. The mattress shifted as Holst got on the bed behind Balthus.

Balthus worked his fingers in and out of Judith, opening her up with each gasp and groan of “good boy”. Holst took a fistful of Balthus’ hair and buried his nose at the base of his neck, inhaling deeply. Balthus’ stomach flipped and he felt a rush of unfamiliar desire. 

Lips still at Balthus’ skin, Holst murmured, “I’ve always wanted— I’ve always loved your— that is, have I told you I like your hair?”

Judith was moaning; Balthus had curled his fingers unconsciously inside her. He turned it into a curling stroke, hitting a spot behind her mound that had her throwing her head back into the pillows. Holst was still breathing in Balthus’ scent, his bare chest pressed to the other’s back. Occasionally, Holst’s lips brushed Balthus’ skin, just a ghost of a sensation shivering down his spine. Trying to focus on Judith with Holst… distracting him was taking up all of his concentration. 

Was he supposed to say something? How was he supposed to say anything in a situation like this? Balthus felt the overwhelming urge to occupy his mouth with anything but words, but Judith was arching her back away and was gasping out short commands. “Don’t stop— Keep go— Yes-!” He considered taking a nipple into his mouth, but that’d require bending away from Holst and _he didn’t want to do that._

The realization struck him so hard he stopped working Judith for a moment and she growled under him.

Balthus let the thought turn over once more, developing into something solid, a thought he had been dancing around for more than a decade. Balthus wanted—no, _desired_ —Holst. And had for a long, long time. Allowing himself to finally think it was such a relief, Balthus relaxed, slouching slightly.

“Ah, goddess… I am sorry, I do not know what came over me.” Holst began to pull away, dropping Balthus’ hair.

A moment of panic ensued, then Balthus told himself to stop thinking and just act. “Fuck it!” Balthus twisted and grabbed Holst with his free hand. He yanked Holst towards him, kissing him hard, teeth nicking the edge of Holst’s mouth. He tasted faint traces of wine, the sharp tang of blood, Judith’s slick liquids, but over everything else Balthus tasted _Holst_. Balthus curled his fingers inside Judith, who gasped, and with his other hand untied the ribbon holding Holst’s hair. 

The surprise on Holst’s face gave way to need as he repositioned himself to better kiss Balthus. Balthus pushed on Holst’s chest so that Holst lay beside Judith. She watched, flushed, a soft smirk on her lips as Balthus crushed his lips to Holst’s again. Tapping Balthus’ hand with one of her own, Judith ran her other through Holst’s hair. Balthus dutifully began stroking Judith with renewed vigor as Holst opened his mouth with a welcoming moan.

Balthus groaned into Holst’s mouth, pressing down with his whole body, every nerve alive. His damned pants were too tight, slotted against Holst’s legs and _why hadn’t they taken their pants off_?! Holst undulated his torso, ending with his pelvis rutting up hard against Balthus’ straining member. The men gasped apart, their bodies chasing the sensation without their choosing. Judith, her eyes dark with desire, arched back against Balthus’ dutiful fingers. Her moans of pleasure accompanied the velvety clenching and quivering of an orgasm around Balthus’ fingers.

“Mmmm, gooood boysss.” Judith tried to catch her breath as she pulled Balthus’ hand away from herself. 

Balthus pressed his still slick fingers into Holst’s mouth, who sucked on them, greedy once again for the taste of Judith. “Fuuuck,” Balthus groaned, his cock twitching in his trousers. Holst’s hands fluttered across Balthus’ chest, unsure of where to land. “C’mon, Holst, is that the best you can do?”

“Mmff!” Holst said in response, a gleam in his eyes. Locking eyes with Balthus, Holst began sucking on Balthus’ fingers in a slow show of defiance. Balthus bit his lips at the sight of Holst, eyes dark pools of want, hair fanned over the pillow and mussed, tongue swirling around his digits. Holst’s hands spread across Balthus’ chest and slowly stroked down over his stomach towards the brim of his pants— 

“Fuck, Holst, that’s—” Balthus started, breath hitching, but Judith cut in. 

“I’m loving the show, boys, but it’d be a shame to finish still clothed, don’t you think? And I was promised pleasure beyond measure, remember?”

Immediately, Balthus jumped off the bed, his fingers making an audible pop as they left Holst’s mouth. For his part, Holst blushed a pink darker than his hair and began shucking his pants where he lay. To help, Balthus yanked Holst’s pants from where they were tangled in his prosthetic. He ran his fingers over the leather lacing that helped keep the carved shin and foot in place right below Holst’s knee. “Want this on or off?” Balthus asked, fingers glancing over the smooth wooden calf.

Holst shivered and closed his eyes a moment, considering. “On. I might need it. To—to steady myself,” he said, pinking again. 

Judith had watched them disrobe, her fingers tracing lazy circles over her labia. She stared pointedly at Balthus’ cock. “ _That_ will take some working up to,” she said. Glancing over at Holst who was ghosting his fingers up and down his own shaft, Judith pursed her lips in thought. “I’ll start with you,” she said, crawling over. Holst nodded, flushed to his ears, and Judith straddled him. She eased herself down onto his length with a contented sigh.

“Ohh,” Holst said, eyes fluttering shut.

Thankful for Balthus already stretching her vagina and still swollen and slick with arousal, Judith made herself comfortable and bounced her hips to a rhythm all her own. Balthus stroked himself where he stood at the edge of the bed, watching Judith take her pleasure. Her breasts bounced with her, nipples erect. Holst bit his bottom lip as he watched her.

Holding her hips, Holst lurched up and caught a nipple, suckling hard. Judith gasped in surprise and encircled him in her arms. Balthus jerked forward and steadied her with one arm. Then, thoughts disappearing into a haze of want and need, Balthus lapped at her other breast, tweaking her nipple before sucking.

Judith praised them in small gasps, cradling their heads to her breasts as Holst thrust into her. Each time they sucked, they pulled her in, streams of pleasure running down her spine to her core. Balthus had snaked his hand down to where Judith’s stomach slicked against Holst’s. He wriggled his fingers down, down with each thrust until he touched that spot where Judith cried out and Holst’s entire body shuddered.

Crushing the men to her breasts—to the point they couldn’t breathe—Judith rode her second orgasm out, chasing those bright streaks of fire until she went limp. The three of them eased back onto the bed. Judith slid off of Holst, lying on her side, languid and flushed. “I need a minute to catch my breath, boys. You’re doing so well.”

Balthus lay on Holst’s other side, propped up on one elbow watching as Holst’s slick cock twitched, a small dribble of precum spotting his stomach. He had the strangest urge to lick the spot off Holst’s belly, to taste him. Balthus held himself back, unsure if he had misunderstood Holst’s desire earlier. Was it for him? Holst reached for his cock, but Balthus beat him to it. He pumped Holst while grinning and said, “Hey buddy, we’re in this together, remember?”

His fingers slid over his best friend’s dick and Balthus yearned for it to be more, to mean more. Maybe he needed more to drink, so he could stop thinking like this and just enjoy the night with Holst and Judith. He squeezed, working Holst, watching as he threw his head back, flushed from his ears to his chest.

“Fuck, don’t call me buddy when we’re… when we’re doing this. Shit, I’m close, I’m-I’m...” Holst’s gasping slowed and he swallowed, frustration mounting. He opened his eyes and glared at Balthus. “Why’d you stop?”

“Oh,” Balthus said, slowly adjusting his grip on Holst while grinning. He had to keep it casual, lest he mar their friendship. “Just feeling mighty underappreciated right now.”

Holst rolled his eyes. “If you insist on joking right now,” he said, sitting up and dislodging Balthus’ hand on him, “then you’re not distracted enough.” And with that, Holst took Balthus’ cock into his mouth.

Balthus’ breath hitched at the suddenness of the action; his eyes fluttered shut and his hips stuttered as he tried to abort a thrust. Holst readjusted for a better angle, licked the head, and swallowed Balthus nearly halfway. He sucked his lips in and bobbed his head, glancing up at Balthus while doing so.

Balthus buried his fingers into Holst’s hair, eyes locked with Holst, feeling his world come undone in the best way possible. Holst pulled back until just the head was in his mouth, swirled his tongue around it, sucked, and then swallowed Balthus further than before. Balthus groaned, hand fisting in Holst’s hair.

Holst was really skilled with that mouth of his. Balthus leaned over him, fucking into Holt’s mouth even as he tried to hold his hips still. He ran one hand down Holst’s muscled back, reverent. Balthus wanted Holst, all of him, wanted to get closer than ever before. Balthus was close—close to a precipice he wasn’t sure he could back away from—and he pulled Holst off his cock with a cry of desperation.

Balthus yanked Holst up and kissed him hard, crushing the other man to him with his famous brawler’s muscles. He licked into the mouth that had nearly undid him and prayed a silent prayer to the Goddess that he could kiss Holst like this a thousand times over. Balthus wanted to be undone by Holst, but he was afraid once he started he wouldn’t be able to stop. So he drank Holst in like a drowning man, barely letting up for air.

Fingers tangled into Balthus’ hair as Holst shuddered against Balthus. They came up for breath and Holst held Balthus’ face between his palms, desperation in his eyes. “Goddess, how I missed you…” Holst said, breathless. In response, Balthus’ cock strained upwards, tapping Holst’s abdomen; Holst’s twitched as well. Balthus huffed a soft laugh and Holst kissed his forehead.

Judith had scooted closer as the men had explored each other, eyes fixed to them like a cat stalking prey, playing with herself with lazy strokes. She slicked her palms with her own juices and grabbed both of them, pumping them in time. “I hate to get between you boys… but I think I’d like to _be_ between you.” Her voice was husky, blue eyes flicking from where her hands worked, up to their faces.

Balthus looked bemused while Holst quivered under her ministrations, resting his head against Balthus’ shoulder. Judith slowed down, stopping completely in order to keep Holst from coming. “I want both of you inside me,” Judith said, ghosting her fingers up and down their shafts.

Balthus shuddered. “I don’t know if we’ll both fit, Judy,” he said.

“Won’t know if we don’t try,” Holst said, nipping at Balthus’ collarbone. 

Judith licked her lips. “Neither of you have come yet, correct?” She grinned. “Good. I want you to come inside me.”

Balthus choked, looking up at her suddenly. Holst shivered in his arms. Whenever Balthus had lain with women in the past, he had always been careful to pull out before his orgasms. But Judith was older, more experienced… and Goddess, he wanted to do as she said.

Holst groaned, tucking his head against Balthus’ chest. “I’m so close,” he said, removing Judith’s hand from his cock. “You’ll have to start with Balthus or I won’t last.” His cock twitched again, more precum dribbling down the shaft.

Seized by impulse, Balthus swiped his thumb over Holst’s dick and licked the precum off. Holst whined, then, a noise of utter frustration and lust denied. He bit his own palm and squirmed away from them, gesturing for Balthus and Judith to begin.

Judith kissed Balthus, a brief exchange laden with want and a hint of tongue. Then she pressed Balthus back against the pillows and straddled him. Judith angled herself so that she could inch down over Balthus’ girth while lying on top of him. She eased herself down, pausing every few seconds to adjust to how much he filled her.

Nuzzling her face into his chest, Judith hummed in pleasure, finding she could wiggle her hips and fit the rest of Balthus in. Balthus was breathing hard, keeping himself from thrusting with formidable restraint. To occupy himself, he ran his hands up and down her back, feeling her muscles slowly relax. 

Holst planted his prosthetic leg against the mattress and stretched, making sure he wasn’t going to lose his footing. He licked his fingers and carefully inched one inside Judith, then another, using Balthus’ cock as a guide. Both Judith and Balthus twitched and groaned, feeling smothered, feeling too full. 

When Holst was able to inch a third finger in, Judith’s groans evolved into keening. “Please,” she gasped, starting to move her hips. “Hold me tight. Please.”

With great care, Holst eased his cock’s head into her pussy. With Balthus’ dick already inside, the addition of Holst’s made for the tightest sensation either men had ever experienced before. Judith was breathing in shallow gasps, so full she was afraid to breathe too deeply. 

Balthus broke the spell by wrapping his arms up and around Holst, pulling him down against Judith’s back. Judith’s breasts pressed against Balthus’ chest and her breath hitched as she felt Holst slip a little and grab onto Balthus’ shoulders for support. She was sandwiched between the two, held so close there was barely room to breathe. The two cocks had started as an uncomfortable strain, but was now a pleasurable burn.

Without communicating beyond what wordless moans conveyed, Balthus and Holst began moving in half thrusts. They slid in and out of Judith at a steady but opposing rhythm, marveling at the tight slick walls of Judith’s pussy and the hard twitching of the other’s cock. Holst’s breath hitched and Balthus buried a hand in his hair and pulled the other man to his lips over Judith’s shoulder. 

Judith’s nipples stiffened at the show so close at hand. Her pussy’s walls clenched in pleasure, a moan erupting from her far louder than she meant. Holst gasped and then cried out, clutching at Balthus and Judith in desperation, his thrusting becoming erratic as his seed spurted hot deep inside Judith. Hardly a moment later, Balthus threw his head back and came harder than he had ever come before, his own cock sliding with Judith’s juices and Holst’s cum.

And Judith, full of both of the young men’s hot seed, rode out her third and largest orgasm of the night, her legs quivering uncontrollably. 

The three lay there, spent as their sweat cooled, a pile of satisfaction. Finally Holst slid out of Judith, then off of her, tucking himself in against Balthus’ right side. Judith lethargically wriggled off Balthus and curled against his other side. Balthus wondered when he’d be able to feel his feet again. He curled his arms around the two sleepily, his body already heavy with sleep. 

“Damn,” he said. “Are all balls like this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter... The morning after!
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!!! It means so much!!! ;A;


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